Nowadays, young people pay attention to pomp and circumstance when getting married. No matter what your status is or whether your family has money or not, the once-in-a-lifetime wedding should always be beautiful and grand. So you can always see the rows of beautiful bride-welcoming floats speeding past on the highway, which makes people envious and admire them.
I often attend or see the wedding scenes of the younger generation. The modern is grand, enthusiastic and noisy, but I always feel that it lacks a bit of cultural heritage and historical heritage. What would it be like if modern material conditions and traditional culture were combined into a water town wedding?
The scene of the country wedding that I remembered when I was a boy always comes to my mind. A soft nostalgia creeps into my heart, making me feel that simplicity and comfort. This is the most realistic kind. Real nostalgia.
The ancients said that there are two great joys for men, one is when they are nominated for the gold medal, and the other is the wedding night. The wedding night is not just for men, women can also be happy. This is the case for everyone. Therefore, getting married is always a top priority. So the wedding always has to be a success. However, the old-fashioned country people are down-to-earth. Although getting married is a big event, they must be down-to-earth and do as much as they can. Therefore, rural weddings pay attention to being lively and joyful without being wasteful or extravagant.
In the 1970s and 1980s, rural areas were not wealthy, but weddings still had to be held. No matter who was getting married in the village, it would be lively.
The host’s preparations for the wedding were carried out early. Before the wedding, the matchmakers of both parties had to come and go, repeatedly discussing the time of the wedding, the amount of the gift, etc. At that time, although the gift was pitifully small, it still had to be there. , even in the most difficult years, the basic rules of weddings are still passed down among the people. This can probably be regarded as a deep-rooted cultural inheritance.
In that era, changes in customs and customs were advocated, and the old complicated etiquette was changed, and everything was simplified, so the wedding ceremony we see has been simplified. But no one is willing to take things lightly when it comes to marriage, and three days of fun are still a must.
A wedding usually lasts three days. The first day is the matchmaking ceremony, the second day is the main day, and the third day is when the bride's family members and elders are invited.
Relatives generally do not attend the matchmaking day. Men from neighbors and the groom’s children are expected to come because there are so many things going on on this day. Pigs and sheep are slaughtered in the front, chickens and ducks are plucked in the backyard, and there are also fresh fish and shrimps. All should be kept clean and ready for use.
The main task of this day is to thank the matchmaker . I don’t understand what Xie Xie is called a matchmaker. Anyway, there are several banquet tables that night, and the host and guest are the matchmakers (usually women). Probably the matchmaker will receive a red envelope on this day. After dinner, the women next door came over uninvited because they were making dumplings that night. The dumplings are made of glutinous rice flour. Choose someone with strong strength and experience to knead the flour. This is not a particularly easy task. First, stir the head with boiling water, quickly knead a dumpling, and then continue kneading until Knead all the cornstarch into a large dumpling. The dumpling should be kneaded until it is very pliable, and then you can make the dumplings. This is an assembly line. Many women gather together. One person first kneads them into solid balls, and the next starts to hollow them out to make a noodle bowl that can be filled with fillings. Then they are filled with fillings, collected, and finally placed on a table. Chapter 1 of Zhang Dazhu. There are meat fillings and red bean paste . This dumpling is the next morning's dumpling. The groom's dumpling is specially made in the style of glutinous rice dumplings. There are many details in it. I don't know about it anyway. There is no point in copying it from the book. I don't have the intention to go into details. introduced.
On this night, three unmarried men will be called to sleep with the groom on his new bed, which is called a bed press.
Early the next morning, the host started to set off cannon sticks and Baizi cannons. The whole village was as happy as the Chinese New Year. The happiest ones were the children, grabbing the heads of cannon sticks and picking up unfired Baizi cannons. , and then it was broken at night and ignited with fire. Sparks flew everywhere, which was really beautiful. They were running around one by one, very happy.
When the sun rises in the east, the groom will worship Buddha and his ancestors, and start the ceremony. The person who takes the ceremony must be the first wife and his wife who have a son among their relatives, and they will eat the first dumplings. Then dressed in new clothes and ready to go.
Men and women in the village came to eat the dumplings, and relatives from nearby also arrived one after another. The dumplings were always burning and could be eaten at any time.
The groom will go to the bride's house in the morning and have lunch at the bride's house. Usually the bride will have the main wine at noon, because the groom has to toast to the bride's elders, and the bride's elders also give red envelopes to the groom at the banquet. Although the woman is a married woman, she is getting married, so the festivities and joy are still the same. There are seven, eight or even a dozen tables of banquets, where people eat slowly, those who don’t drink leave early, and those who drink have to gather together to set up a wine stall. , create momentum, market, weddings and funerals, happy events should look like happy events, and the wine must be drunk well.
I am drinking here, and the wedding boat over there has already started. The wedding boat is a modified sailboat. It is brightly decorated with red lanterns, red silk and satin, and various colorful flags. There are two baskets of rice cakes on the bow. Pagoda style, with red oranges on top, makes it look festive.
The groom's young friends were in the limelight that day. They were all dressed in brand new clothes and their hair was combed. They began to walk onto the welcoming boat and find their seats. They had two important tasks. One was to beat the gongs and drums. , and another one is to carry the dowry.
The welcoming boat left the village amidst the sound of cannons, gongs and drums, followed by a boat specially used to carry the dowry, and headed for the bride's home with laughter and laughter all the way.
Over there, the bride’s family is already preparing to entertain the guests.
Facing the river bank, people in the village have been waiting for a long time. Although the bride is familiar, they still want to see it. One is to rejoice and join in the fun, and the other wants to see the bride's beauty and her parents' dowry.
The welcoming boat slowly approached the Shiqiaokou of the bride's home in joy. The boat stopped and the people who welcomed the bride got ashore, but the bride's family did not show their faces and had to close the door tightly.
The time has come for those young men to work hard. The gongs and drums are loud and loud.
At this time, there is a competition going on inside and outside the door. The groom's wedding representative stuffs red envelopes into the cracks of the door. This is the door-opening bag. How many times should the door-opening bag go in and out? There is no integer, but it is usually just a form. Generally The woman will not make things too difficult for the man’s family on this day. Finally the door opened. Two rows of seats had been prepared inside, and candies and cakes were placed on the table. The woman invites the man's relatives to have tea.
Friends will not have their turn to have tea, but they will have an unexpected gift, cigarettes and candies.
There are two courses of tea. The first course is sweet tea, which contains thin balls and white sugar. The second course is smoked bean tea.
After a while, the gongs and drums began to beat, getting louder and louder. The bride upstairs began to say goodbye to her family. The mother could not bear to leave her daughter, so she confessed to her daughter with tears. The daughter nodded and said words of comfort, tears welling up in her eyes. Finally, the mother When the two girls cry, the brothers and sisters also cry. This is called crying, crying.
At the same time, the matchmakers on both sides were actively communicating, and after trying their best to meet the woman's additional conditions, they entered the process of proposing a marriage.
The dowry is distributed first, one by one. The first item is a red lacquered toilet wrapped in a red bag. This is very dramatic. I don’t understand why this must be distributed first, and the person carrying the toilet must be a boy. In the evening, the child had to pee first. Of course, there were red eggs , sugar cane, and a red envelope. Quilts, blankets, and many other daily necessities were packed in crates, and two people carried them neatly to the boat. Every bride will have several large and small camphor wood boxes. These boxes contain the bride’s most private things and are also the key items in her natal trousseau. The boxes are locked with an copper lock . The key is of course kept by the bride. on the body.
After the dowry was put on the boat, the gongs and drums were still beating loudly, and the loud trumpets were playing loudly, and the whole village was filled with an atmosphere of joy.
The bride started to leave, reluctantly bidding farewell to her parents, and walked down the stairs with the support of her bridesmaids and sisters. She stood at the last step of the stairs, waiting for her relatives to carry her to the welcoming boat.
With the sound of firecrackers and the roar of gongs and drums, the bride left her home and bid farewell to her folks and elders in the presence of relatives. She will start a new life as a woman.
On the bank of the river, the bride's mother, with tears in her eyes, watched the flower boat go further and further away...
The winding river, the clear water, and the green trees on both sides were welcoming the newlyweds and preparing for them. bless.
A few dozen minutes later, the boat made a big turn and came back, welcoming the bride.
At that time, the bride did not wear a wedding dress, but wore a red cotton-padded jacket, red pants, red hijab, and the bride was all dressed up and pretty. It attracted the admiration of the women in the village.
I have been waiting here for a long time. When I heard the sound of the machine to welcome the boat, my family immediately started to prepare. Everything was ready, just waiting for the bride. When the ship arrived and docked, the groom's uncle took the bride into his home and held a worship ceremony. The newlyweds also enjoyed the tea ceremony. Everything was as before and would not be repeated.
:The next step is to pick up the elders. The wedding boat sets off again. Friends continue to work hard and beat gongs and drums to greet the bride's male elders. No female guests are invited. The bride's peers have already accompanied the bride to the groom's side.
welcomed the elders and received another courtesy. At this time, the sky was getting late and the twilight was hazy, and another climax came - a big banquet.
In those days, there was no such thing as wedding hosting, but there was no lack of excitement. There were more than a dozen banquet tables spread out. If you couldn't place them at your own home, you could place them at your neighbor's house. The bride and groom have a seat, friends and sisters have a seat each, and the bride's elders have a seat. The etiquette is not messy, the wine and meat are fragrant, the music is played, the laughter is heard, and you are enjoying yourself in the farmhouse.
There were no delicacies in those days, but the pigs and sheep were raised at home, the chickens and ducks were free-range, the fish and shrimp were fresh, and everything was original.
Of course, the wine is also brewed by oneself. Good wine, good food, good hospitality.
The next scene is the bride and groom toasting to everyone and making smoke. Accompanied by her mother-in-law, the bride had a meeting ceremony with all the male relatives. Of course, she was filled with red envelopes and beamed with joy. The children also got red envelopes from the bride, and they were all as happy as little gods.
It wasn't until it was completely dark that the banquet slowly broke up. The distant relatives went home, and the new relatives from the mother's family were also sent away by boat, and the bustle of the day gradually returned to calm. At this time, the new house is full of spring and full of joy.
Those young friends and sisters are having a wedding .
It was late at night, people were quiet, and the bridegroom and the bride entered the most ecstatic moment. There is nothing the pen can touch, so stop writing here.
Oh, I have to explain that the next day is to invite the woman’s elder female relatives, which is another day of pomp and circumstance. On the third day, the groom takes the bride back to her natal home with gifts. The grandest wedding in life has come to an end, and then we are a real married couple...
